I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service." ~ Romans 12:1

Spiritual maturity is something I have been struggling to understand and attain for most of my Christian walk. It is hard enough to grow up, "period,"— and by the way, we actually can't grow up properly without God, but to spiritually mature, that is an entirely different level. We are now trying to reach a Christ-like level.

I had been a Christian for some time, serving as a Youth Pastor at a small church. One day, I sensed that God was prompting me to leave, and I felt overwhelmed with uncertainty. I had no alternative plan and relied on my paycheck to provide for my family. Fearing the unknown, I convinced myself that God wasn't truly leading me elsewhere, so I ignored His prompting and stayed. It turned out to be the worst decision at the time.

The situation at the church deteriorated as they engaged in actions that seemed unGodly. Why God probably initially prompted me to leave. Over time, the church faced financial challenges due to a shift in direction, leading to the decision to part ways with me.

Following my departure, my faith became an increasingly difficult challenge. Frankly, I had long pondered the disconnect between the actions of all churches and Christians and what I read in the Bible.

Christians are supposed to be Christ-like, bearing the fruit of Jesus. We are messengers, ambassadors, soldiers, salt and light. We were to be not of this world but about God's Kingdom. We were to have a Godly joy and peace within us that would shine the light of God so bright the world could see it. Christians were supposed to give up their lives for others. I didn't see this happening with me or around me.

I chose to dedicate my time away from ministry to seek an answer. After a prolonged struggle, I eventually asked God to reveal the issue more clearly. He disclosed that the problem within the church mirrored the issue within myself—we all needed to mature spiritually. God told me to grow up! In every Christian life, there is a moment when God asks us to grow up.

Salvation is like being a child at the beach, initially hesitant to venture into the water, content to build sandcastles on the shore while the ocean calls out to you. Once you muster the courage to wade in, you experience the exhilaration of splashing in the water, albeit only a few feet in. Salvation does not end there, for soon, Jesus will call you to go deeper into the water. Growth emerges from where it is darkest, and it is where the light of God shines its brightest.

So, I wondered how I could mature spiritually. I began this long journey, figuring out how to grow up. I tried reading my Bible more, bible studies, small groups, disciplining myself, and serving more. I asked Pastors, leaders in the church, and fellow Christians. Nothing helped. My faith seemed stuck, and change never came. Trying was not working.

I was confused. I felt like I was struggling not to be the person I was being, to be the spiritual person I couldn't seem to be. There was not a lot of joy in me. What was I missing? Was I not praying, reading my Bible, attending church, and serving enough? Finally, God gave me the answer to my questions. God led me to Romans Chapter 12, where I found the answer I had been searching for.

Romans chapters 1-11 detail everything God did to rescue us and extend an invitation back into His family. Chapter 12 outlines our expected response if we choose to accept His invitation. Our correct response brings maturity, fruit, and assurance of our salvation.

Let us examine this passage:

A Living Sacrifice

God told Abraham to take his son and offer him up in sacrifice. God was never going to let him kill Isaac, but it was a trial of maturity for Abraham. God was exposing Abraham would react in faith, demonstrating his mature state. At that moment, Abraham revealed his faith had taken a giant leap forward.

A saved person still has to deal with the old nature, their flesh, the part of them that causes all the havoc. The Bible tells us that the flesh needs to be put to death daily. But I think many Christians run ahead and try and put the flesh to death without a first important step. We must offer up our flesh in sacrifice.

Where does it begin?

If you desire spiritual maturity, you must put your flesh on God's altar as a sacrifice. How do you become a living sacrifice? Metaphorically, you are standing on the edge of a mountain, where it is safe, and God is asking you to take a "leap of faith."

It's always interesting that people will take a "leap of faith"In marriage, not knowing what may lie in store. They plan to spend the rest of their lives with this person—that is a lot of trust. But yet, when God asks us to take a leap of faith, we become hesitant. It is interesting because God is the only one worthy of that trust, but instead, we put that trust in each other.

You must trust and surrender all to God. You must decide to commit, saying to God, "I surrender all, entrusting every aspect of my life into Your hands." Pray to God and say, "Lord, I am all in." Just like a marriage when the couple says, "I do."

Now, you might find it intimidating to utter those words in prayer. You may be grappling with thoughts about potential losses or concerns about what God may require of you, causing apprehension. Are you pondering whether God will strip away half of your possessions and send you to live as a missionary in a distant continent? Quite honestly, probably not, but only God knows.

Your apprehension suggests that you're poorly weighing out the value, more worried about what you might lose over the benefits you could gain. You gain a treasure worth selling everything for. What you gain should make everything else seem like rubbish compared to Christ. Unfortunately, until you can recognize this and reevaluate the choice, you will not achieve spiritual maturity.

When you don't surrender, you ask God to allow your flesh to come along. You allow your flesh to live, and the flesh will overpower and quench the spirit. Your faith will be an up-and-down, joyless rollercoaster. No matter how much you read the Bible, study the mention, attend church, small groups, and serve, you will not overcome the flesh.

Even in surrender, you will still have to battle your flesh, but it will be to its death so that your spirit can live, rather than trying to keep both your flesh and spirit alive. That only leads to spiritual quenching.

When God tasked Moses with freeing His people, Moses requested to bring his brother Aaron along. It was as if Moses was asking to bring his flesh along, and it was a horrible decision as Aaron kept sabotaging their journey.

Spiritual maturity involves rejecting the desires of the flesh. You cannot nurture or entertain it in any way. The flesh, our nature, is contrary to God. It requires consistently saying no by killing it daily. There's no room for compromise in this matter.

Renew your mind

Spiritual maturity means you no longer feed your flesh but feed your spirit. You have to discipline yourself to turn away from the things of this world and seek the things of God.

Those who neglect to renew their minds are playing a dangerous game. They attempt to fill the library of their minds with both worldly and spiritual things, akin to trying to lose weight by exercising while maintaining a junk food diet. The alternative is to empty oneself of worldly influences, but without filling it with the spiritual things of God, one finds dissatisfaction with both the spiritual and the earthly life. Ultimately, this leaves them vulnerable to Satan and his attacks.

The journey of sanctification is essential for every believer because it leads to spiritual maturity. Unfortunately, the Church and Christians have neglected this aspect. Without the sanctification process, it's difficult to say you are a follower of Christ.

Living Sacrifice

I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. (Romans 12:1)

From my own journey, I can attest that neglecting to fulfill this verse will hinder your faith. It's akin to sending a 9-year-old to war. You will misinterpret scripture, avoid suffering at any expense, and redirect your focus toward your personal battles instead of the ones ordained by God. Roman 12 defines that in God's economy, we only have one choice—all in!